By Michelle Burke
and Lilamani De Silva

A Radical Reboot for Busy People

15 Minute Pause is an inspirational playbook for busy people who want to reclaim time to relax, re-energize, and reassess their priorities. It’s dedicated “me time” to explore where you are now, where you want to be and how best to get there. This book is for those who are ready to make a small change and a big difference to their daily happiness and well-being. It’s time for a reboot, if not now, then when? Start today!

Why a 15 Minute Pause?

We noticed that life has become increasingly busy and more stressful. We’ve become a culture hooked on busyness, doing, doing, doing in a technologically demanding 24/7 lifestyle. The huge misconception is the belief that the more we do, the more productive we are. A never ending cycle of to do’s, giving, pleasing and taking care of others. And, our collective answer to juggling the stress in our lives – to do more of the same. We’ve allowed the most important person to come last on our to do list.

“15 Minute Pause is a thoughtful, insightful guide that compels you to living a more joy-filled life in simple, easy steps. In a world where our “to do” lists are growing exponentially and our lives are filled with 24/7 opportunities and challenges, the messages conveyed in this book are more important now than ever.”

“15 Minute Pause is a loving opportunity to take inventory and get real. This wise book makes personal work accessible. In a short period of time, one can easily return to their core and find a doable way to live an awake and joyful life. This book is a gift.”

– KELLY KAGAN LAW, PHD, MFT

15 Minute Pause is an inspiring book with a timely message for the stressful world we are living in.

– 15 PAUSE FAN

“15 Minute Pause is the right message at the right time for anyone who is feeling overwhelmed, exhausted, stressed or just too busy to take time for yourself.

This playbook provides practical, easy steps to have more joy in your life.”

– Laurie Graham King, TV Host, Celebrity Fashion Stylist

Great tips on practicing awareness, and showing gratitude for what seems insignificant. I’ve been more mindful since reading and practicing these simple yet, powerful techniques.

– Dr. Minerva

Keeping to your simple 15 minute practice is a very powerful and manageable life strategy.

– E. Ryan, Yoga Practitioner

“Fifteen minutes is doable for everyone, in fact studies have shown that simply taking a pause reduces stress,” says co-author Michelle Burke, CEO of the Energy Catalyst Group and author of The Valuable Office Professional and The Compass and the Clock. “In my consulting work, I’ve helped people increase their selfawareness, be more accountable and shown them a path to get off the stress treadmill. Lilamani and I believe joy-filled moments don’t add more to a busy day, they make a busy day better.”

“A motivational manual explains how readers can take back control of their lives 15 minutes at a time…. “Activities are quick and fit easily into a 15-minute pause, allowing readers to take a break from the stresses of work and family to analyze the decisions they made in the previous 30 days or to take the Life Energy Inventory. Burke and de Silva write in a clear, soothing prose that always sounds reasonable: “When we don’t value ourselves enough to put us on our own to do list, or find time to prioritize our needs alongside our other demands, then stress levels invariably increase and wellbeing decreases.”

—-Kirkus Reviews

Our Mission is to inspire busy people to pause long enough to de-stress and live their best life.

Michelle Burke

Michelle Burke is a highly respected and sought-after leadership and team coach, consultant, strategist, and speaker. As Founder and President of Energy Catalyst Group, she has devoted her 20-year career to helping organizations become thriving energized workplaces. Her consulting and coaching with Fortune 100, 500 companies and Universities established her as a leading expert in bridging communication, team and cultural gaps. Her clients include: Sony PlayStation, Stanford University, Visa, HP, Microsoft, Cisco Systems, Disney, HTC, Snap Inc., Genentech and Northern Telecom.

She is author of the acclaimed book, The Valuable Office Professional, endorsed by Ken Blanchard. She co-developed The Productivity Cycle™, a communication tool proven to enhance teamwork and increase productivity, endorsed by Stanford University. Michelle is a member of Forbes Coaching Council and a participant in UCLA’s Mindful Awareness Research Center (MARC) intensive IPP program.
She has been featured in Business Week Magazine, Los Angeles Times, San Francisco Chronicle, Wall Street Journal, and Star Ledger. She was a regular contributor for Great Work Cultures on Huffington Post, and contributes to Forbes.com. Her articles have appeared in HR, Training and CLO Magazines. Michelle enjoys giving back to her community, traveling, reading, cooking and is a sports enthusiast.

Lilamani De Silva

Lilamani de Silva and Michelle have worked together for 17 years co-creating card games and educational products. Her eclectic career has spanned across different industries including media relations, property management and film production. She was a Clinical Audit Facilitator at Hammersmith Hospital and was a publicist at London Zoo which led her to the production of natural history documentaries for ITV, Discovery and Animal Planet.

Her jobs gave her the opportunity to​​ ​travel the globe and experience different cultures and life perspectives. An accomplished painter, Lilam​ani’s illustrations grace this book and she has sold paintings around the world. In addition to her love of travel, she is a nature enthusiast, enjoys reading, and racket sports. She​ ​holds a Masters in Biochemistry from the University of Otago in New Zealand.

Over 75 percent of Americans experience some sort of physical symptoms related to stress in any given month, and 73 percent experience psychological or mental symptoms, Pause and think about it. Most of us are experiencing stress at such a high level that it is having a negative effect on our health and relationships.

Are you tired of being busy, stressed and overwhelmed? The statistics show you are not alone? Yet many of us are too stressed to do anything about our stress. Take this opportunity to get off the stress treadmill, change what no longer works, and prioritize what matters most, You!

Join us for a 15 Minute Pause retreat, your radical reboot to self care; two days in a luxurious, calming, and energizing 4 star resort. We believe you deserve a timeout just for you with a sprinkling of indulgence. Don’t you agree?

This experiential retreat focuses on you. 15 Minutes Pause is your secret recipe to being more joy-filled.